Mixing device



" Aug. 9,1927.

1,638,585 A. L. LATHROP MIXING DEVICE Filed July 25, 1924 lUzinedfi: r I Jifmd'll m I Patented f V Airman if ,LAEHitdr, or

MV invention i'ldte' to ine'ansj fer-getting the explosive inixturedntofthe combustion chamber itselfin the bestipos'sible condition with a. minimum ofieperatiehs 3 performed 5 "theie'on prior to its entrance, 1

' Another; primar obj ect of "the invention is to --accoinpli'sh such delivery with a relatively cheap and simple means, which, more over, I canre'adily ba installed "inengines at: presentinru'se.v 1 I Further objectsandiadvantages of'theinvention will became apparent as 'thedes'cription' pro'ce'e'ds' t r V the accompanying-{tlrawingsi 1 Fig-Y 1*is 'a' trz'z'ii'sverse section th'rou h p'art of an internalbombustionfengine, *"indibat- 'i'n'gfatcorfstruction 'ja'ccoiding to the invenuse; V I

' Fig."Q-iS anenIarged detaiil section through theatemizer pro er;' I

fsiiniiar to Fig. i: for

18 is controlled by valve 20 actuated in the usual or any preferred manner, as for instance by rocker arm22 engaging the'stem 24 and receiving'movement from the tappet rod 26, the valve being held seated by suitable springs 28. i

Carburetors of remarkable reliability and accuracy so far as control of the ratio of carburetor itself has yet to solve the problem of always volatilizing all the fuel,or at least atomizing it so finely that it passes into the combustion chamber 14 in properly atomized condition, under all conditions-of temperature of fuel and air and for all fuels.

Inequalities of distribution between different cylinders, the introduction. of fuel in to the combustion chamber in-particles too large to burn properly, and the still more serious defect in operation of accumulated slugs of liquid fuel, a phenomenon commonly known as loading are prolific sources of trouble. Centrifugal separating devices and means for heating partor all of the mixture, have been resorted to'but these are far from satisfactory or reliable! v ering"? un'if'orin mi' xt ure "'into" passage '18,

' tributes tothe vol metric flieiency; and that Fig. 3- is a similarsection of aflmodified fuel to air, are well-known to the art, but the;

ous that while the valve is closed, any liquid w fixssnagwrsedssia, J k I eems. i

i924. sear 728E092. i

:Accerding coith i-eferredmanners 'pracchange "inthe -"m'iXtureratio; Then aS" the 7' mixture passes through the opening around 1 the 'finl'et, valve into 'the 'ooinbustionbhamber,= it is "finely I atomized I and sprayed di rectl into said chamber.- The elimination 016 1101; spots and to'r't'u'ous"Tfioiiiite'rifloyvflbas sages in the inlet manifold' facilitates deliv- V and the final} atbiniz iiig is rfo'rmed billy {as the mixture? enters the 7 combustibn "Chamber, where it will be; mest'gefi'eeti v Itshou'l'd I also be'noted thatfther heating of the"mixtii'r e required, which conthe atomized liquid ruelywi'lr impinge' on the walls of the combustion chamb'ei tobevolao tilized With a minimum-of heating of the' gaseous portions *of: the? fixture; This also providesa cooling eftecrg right at1the source ofheat,% whieh;' although *relatively smafl in 'amount, is a much more direct relief than the cooling by conduction through the metal; wallsof the combustion-chamber.

-The atomizer illustrated in'the drawings is a spinner 30 having a plurality of radial blades 32 separated by pockets 34 with sides inclined, so that the impact of the incoming mixture will set the device into very rapid rotation about its axis and constitute "itan;

to effective atomizer for liquid fuel particles in the mixture. .Under the repeated impact of the mixture during thesuction stroke, the spinner revolves rapidly at all times when the valve 20 is closedas well as when. it is open. To facilitate in maintainingthe speed 'of the spinner, I prefer to provide an anti friction mounting as illustrated in Fig. 2.. Retaining ring 36 held by set screw 38 clamps the inner ballraoe 40 against the shoulder 42 onthe :valve stem} The outer ball race His similarly clamped bet I v g p shoulder 46 on the spinner 30,,and av retaining, ring 48. The "spinner is preferably made of some light aluminum alloy or pressed steel, to facilitate actuation thereof by the incoming gases. The clearance at 50.] I

can be made very small, and it will be obvi- 1 particles of material size will spread out 119 over surface 50, and be either yolatiliz'ed by the heat of said surface, or positioned where o 'preliminary I fio *thefnext intake stroke will wipe them off into the combustion-chamber. l 1 111 Fig.3 I have indicated a modifiedconistruction,v in which runner, 52 is suitably mounted on guide sleeve -54' for valve-stem thecooling efiectiof' liquid particles is delivered more to the back .of' valve head '20, than to the'walls of the combustion chamber.

Fig. 4 indicates the nse'of, a spinnerac- Q cording-to Fig. -1 on the valve .of an L-' directed intakev passageway head engine, having a; lateral extension 56 in the combustion chamber, and an upwardly Without further elaboration, the forei I V: 1.:A mixing structure for internal combus} QQ-tiOn engines comprising a fluid inlet-duct v terminating i'na cylindrical outlet passage, a v

V 24,, As this runner does not move. downp with the valve head andoperate as "a deflec- 'tortospread' the gases out radially, it is preferably provided with blades 56 defining passages extending clear through the same axially. This form of device difl'ers from that illustrated in Fig. 2 chiefly in that valve disc, at spinner, said ,ou'tlet passage" having a seatfor said valve disc,'said spinner being cylindrical and located immediately' back of the valve disc, said spinner being entirely within said out-let passageand separated from the sides of saidpassage by restricted clearance space, and varies for saidv spinner causing rapid rotationthereof' and V directinglall the fluid to flow through said clearance space before-leaving saidoutlet.

2. A mixing structure for internal combus-- tion engines comprising a'fluid'inlet duct 7 terminating in a cylindrical outlet passage,

a valve disc, aspinner, said outlet passage having a seat for said valve disc, said spin- 'ner being cylindrical and located immediate- 1y back of the valve disc, said spinner being entirely within said outletpassage and-separated from-the sides of said passage by a restricted clearance space, said spinner having slotsforming vane surfaces subjected to fluid pressure wherebysaid spinner will be rapidly rotated, said slots extending from Y the outer endof said spinner and communic ating with'said clearance space but termin ating short of the inner end of said spinner whereby all the fluid will be directed to fiow through said clearance space said clearance space communicating with said outlet when said valve is open. s j V In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 21 day of July 1924:.

ALFRED L; LATI-IROP. 

